Cartridge feed-belt for machine guns



June 6, 1944. A .1,A, HENDLAl-:Y

CARTRIDGE FEED-BELT FOR MACHINE GUNS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1942 HHHHHHPQ HHHHHHHHH |-1z June 6, 1944. J, A, HENDLEY 2,350,455

CARTRIDGE FEED-BELT FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed July 22, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 6, 1944 James A. Hendley,

to The Russell Middletown, cut

CARTRIDGE FEED-BELT FOR MACHINE U S Middletown, Conn., assignor `Manufacturing Company, Conn., a; corporation of Connecti- Application July 22, 1942, Serial No. 451,969

` 3 Claims. This invention relates to improvements in woven cartridge feed-belts for machine guns. One objectof this invention is to provide an improved woven cartridge feed-belt for machine guns in ,have their projectile-,ends housed or covered by a portion of the belt.`

With thje aboveand other objects in view. as `will appear to those skilled in the art from the "prescintdiscl'osure, this invention includes allfeature" in lthe Said disclosure which are novel over fth' prior art. 1 l 4In tn'e accompanying drawings, in which certain ways of carrying out the invention are shown i "for illustrative purposes:

Fig. l` is a fragmental elevational view of a portion of a cartridge feed-belt made in accordance with the present invention, and illustrating cartridges in some of the 'pockets thereof.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line 3--3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is of Fig. 1;

an enlarged sectional view on line 4--4 Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental view of the e weave construction;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view on line 6--6 of Fig. 1 illustrating the warp strands and their mode of crossing from one ply to the other;

Fig. '7 is a transverse schematic sectional view lengthwise of a pocket on line 'l-l of Fig. 1;

Fig. S is an elevational view similar to Fig. 1 ci a modied construction;

Fig. 9 is a sectional View Fig. 10 is an elevational view of still another modified construction; and

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of still another modiiied construction.

In the following description and claims, the various parts and steps are identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the prior art will permit.

`Referring to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to '7 of the drawings, the cartridge feed-belt has a series of cartridgereceiving pockets 2l extending transversely of the belt, each cartridge-receiving pocket 2| including a cartridge-gripping portion 22 adapted to cover and hold or grip an intermediate portion of a cartridge, and a projectile-end housing-portion 23 adapted to cover substantially all of the end of the projectile-end of the cartridge. The broken which the Ycartridges carried by the belt on line S--S of Fig. 8;

portion 23.

- tered i portion of i and forth from ply to ply line 24 in Fig. 1 indicates the junction-line of the portions 22 and 23. Y

The belt lZllis formed `of two plies 25 and 28 formed by weaving a weft strand 21 with two sets of warp strands 28 and 29, each set of warp strands including pairsl of warp strands 30 and Vsingle warp strands 3|, the pairsl of warp strands 3i) being along the gripping-portion 22, and the single warp strands 3| being along the housing- The weft picks ofthe weft strand 2-1 are woven as a 'continuous strand that goes back and forth from `one ply to the other along the free edge 32 of the housing-portion 23.

Most of the pairs of warp strands 3i) cross over back and forth from one ply to the other along the lines or regions 33 to form the large-diamethe gripping-portion 22, while of warp strands 3D cross back twice as often along the pairs of spaced-apart lines or regions 34 to form the small-diametered portion of the grippingportion 22.

The single warp strands 3l cross back and forth from ply to ply along the same lines or regions 34 to form the housing-portion 23. Preferably, the single warp strands 3| are woven with the weft picks to form a looser woven portion of fabric than the pairs of warp strands 30 woven with the weft picks, thus providing a looser more-flexible weave for the housing-portion and avoiding tendency of the housing-portion to cramp or hinder the proper functioning or feeding action of the belt.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 9, the belt 20a. is the same as the belt 20 illustrated in Figs. 1 to '7 with the exception that the housing-portion 23a has the same diameter as the larger part of the gripping-portion 22a.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 10, the belt 20h is the same as the belt 20 shown in Figs. l to 7 except that the grippingportion 22h and the housing-portion 23h are all of the same size.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 11, the belt 20c is the Same as the belt 2U of Figs. 1 to 7 except that the housing-portion 23e is formed of a series of different-diametered portions which provide a housing-space approaching the form of the end of the projectile to be housed therein.

Belts made in accordance with the present invention are preferably formed by weaving the warps with a single weft strand which crosses back and forth between the two plies of the belt, to both for-m the weft picks of the plies of the others 'of the pairs i belt and close the Y It will thus be seen that belts ;istics of Vend ofv the housing-portion which houses the projectile-end of the cartridge. made in accordance with the present invention can be manufactured on a single-shuttle loom.

Y picks to form a housing-portion being of alooser Weave than said gripping-portion. Y

2; A cartridge feed-belt for machine gunsrcomprising: two sets of Warp strands woven with weft strip-like two-ply cartridge feedbelt having individual cartridge-renewing pockets 1Where sets of warp strands are referred to, t does not mean that the same strands always form ply to ply of Warp strands, the identity of the warp strands forming the set ina ply ferent locations along the belt.

The invention maybeV Vcarried out in"otherf 'specific Ways'than those herein set forth without departing from 'having individual cartridge-receiving pockets `eirtending transverselyv of the belt; -eachsaid pocket cover substantially all l.of the N Y ticoverg,substantially al1 of the same set, since, due to thecrossing over'from" tion of aj cartridge, and

of a cartridge, and a Vprojectile-end'closedlendL housing-portion constructed and arranged s to theend of the projectileend offtheA cartridge, said housing-por tion having a lesser number of' warp strands per unit, of widthdthan said gripping-portion; i

` A cartridge feed-belt for machine guns comportion construct'ed and arranged the cartridge; saidhosing-'portion having'a'le'sser number. of Warpgstrands"pery @init of,width1;

l A.similarity.V

as a Weftgstrand periodically 

